TURKEY. 



771 



storm, and General Horvatovitch was driven 

 b:u-k UJMMI Knishevatz, and General Tchernayeff 

 upon IMijrrad. Tlie Turks next turned their 

 t'oiv.-s against Alexinatz and Deligrad, and 

 capturt'd tho former post, the strongest forti- 

 tk'd position in Servia, on the 81st of October. 

 Tin-re seemed now to be no possibility of stay- 

 in:,' the advance of the Turks, when Russia 

 iMU't-fi-ri'd with her ultimatum, on the evening 

 of the 31st of October, demanding the assent 

 of Turkey within forty-eight hours to an 

 armistice of two months, as the alternative of 

 her recalling her embassador from Constanti- 

 nople. The armistice was agreed to, and the 

 Servians were released from their peril. 



The Servian army of the Morava was seri- 

 ously distracted, during October, by dissensions 

 and jealousies between the Kussian volunteers 

 and the Servians, which nearly led to its dis- 

 integration. Among the Russian volunteers 

 were numerous adventurers, who had entered 

 the Servian service merely for the sake of the 

 plunder. These caused so much trouble by 

 their depredations among the peaceful popu- 

 lation, that the Minister of War ordered them 

 to be sent over the Servian frontier. General 

 Tchernayeff was indignant at this order, and 

 demanded the removal of Nikolitch, the Min- 

 ister of War, from his office. The latter was, 

 however, supported by his colleagues, and 

 Prince Milan sent the Minister of the Interior 

 to Deligrad to pacify Tchernayeff. Disputes 

 and crimination arose also between the Rus 

 sian and Servian officers, and the quarrel came 

 to so high a pitch as to threaten the total de- 

 struction of discipline, and a revolt, when the 

 signing of the armistice gave a new aspect to 

 affairs. 



On the Drina the Servians retreated to their 

 own territory, some of the men being sent to 

 aid Tchernayeff on the Morava, and others 

 were granted an indefinite furlough. The 

 Turks, on the other hand, made great prepara- 

 tions for a general attack, in which, however, 

 they were interrupted by the armistice. On 

 the Ibar, where the Servian troops had been 

 placed, under the command of the Russian 

 general Novoselov, no engagements of any 

 importance took place. On the Timok, also, 

 everything had remained quiet during this 

 time, as the army of the Timok had been 

 united with that of the Morava in August, 

 and only a few detachments remained to guard 

 the line of the river. In Montenegro, Mukh- 

 tar Pasha had quietly remained in his in- 

 trenchments during the cessation of hostili- 

 ties. On October 9th a sharp engagement 

 took place at Saslap, in which the Turks were 

 driven from their positions, whn they retired 

 to Turkish territory. At the same time, the 

 insurgent leader Dakovitch marched with 

 4,000 men to Liubigne, which he burned. The 

 in siirgents also obtained several advantages at 

 other points; so that, when the armistice was 

 proclaimed, the Turks were in a very precari- 

 ous position on the northern border of Mon- 



tenegro, while on the sonthern border their 

 condition was not much better. Here Dervish 

 Pasha undertook, on October 9th, an invasion 

 from Saresh up the Zeta. He made consider- 

 able progress until, on the 16th, he was at- 

 tacked by Stanko Radonitch at Zagarash, and 

 was defeated ; and on October 21st Fort 

 Medun also capitulated. Thus, at the begin- 

 ning of the armistice, the Montenegrins had 

 cleared their whole country of the Turks ; 

 and while the Servians saw portions of their 

 country in the hands of the enemy, the Mon- 

 tenegrins had gained a firm footing on Turk- 

 ish territory, and were in a position to dictate 

 their own terms. 



When the Turks agreed to an armistice of 

 two months, Savfet Pasha, with the consent 

 of Ignatieff and the representatives of tho 

 other powers, reserved to himself the right to 

 regulate the details. One of the most difficult 

 of these details was the settlement of the lines 

 of demarkation between the belligerents. For 

 this purpose each of the six great powers 

 appointed two military commissioners, who 

 should cooperate with the Turkish, Servian, 

 and Montenegrin commissioners. For Servia 

 it was an easy matter to determine the line of 

 demarkation ; and although some difficulties 

 presented themselves in the case of Monte- 

 negro, still the matter was also definitely 

 settled here by December 12th. The blockade 

 of Nicsic by Montenegro was continued, but a 

 regular provisioning of the city was ordered 

 from Montenegro, and under the supervision 

 of that power. As soon as the armistice was 

 definitely settled upon, the Servian militia was 

 dismissed. 



After the interview of Lord Loftns with the 

 Emperor Alexander (see RUSSIA), Earl Derby 

 assumed the initiative in calling a conference 

 of the great powers of Europe, and for this 

 purpose issued, on November 4th, a circular 

 letter to the British representatives at the 

 courts of the other powers. This letter was 

 as follows : 



Her Majesty's Government believe, from the com- 

 munications which they have received from the 

 powers, that there is a general feeling that the only 

 solution of the questions arising out of recent events 

 in Turkey is to be found in a conference, but that 

 there is some hesitation felt in formally proposing 

 it. Under these circumstances, and with the view 

 of bringing about a satisfactory settlement of those 

 questions, her Majesty's Government have deter- 

 mined to renew the suggestion made by them on 

 the 5th ultimo, and to take the initiative in propos- 

 ing that a conference should be held forth with at 

 Constantinople, in which all the guaranteeing powers 

 and the Porte should take part, and each Gov rn- 

 ment should be at liberty to appoint two plenipo- 

 tentiaries to represent it. Her Majesty's Govern- 

 ment further submit, a* the basis for the delibera- 

 tions of the conference : 



1. The independence and the territorial integrity 

 of the Ottoman Empire. 



2. A declaration that the powers do not intend to 

 seek for, and will not seek for, ny territorial ad- 

 vantages, any exclusive influence, or anv concession 

 with regard to the commerce of their subjects which 

 those of every other nation may not equally obtain. 



